- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
review
£199.99
VERDICT:
Effective fan for indoor training, but so expensive and sensor modes aren't really necessary
Weight:
5,500g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
- Exceptional
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Good
- Quite good
- Average
- Not so good
- Poor
- Bad
- Appalling
The Wahoo Kickr Headwind training fan is an indoor-training-specific fan with some useful features, and the performance is good. You'll really need to want them to be able to justify spending £200 on it, though, when a very good gym fan costs about a fifth of that.
- Pros: Good focused airflow, HR control works well, neat
- Cons: Not adjustable enough, speed mode is pointless, very expensive
There are four ways to control the Headwind. At the most basic level you can click the buttons on the front of it to make it go faster or slower, but if you're happy doing that you may as well just get yourself a cheap gym fan.
> Find your nearest dealer here
Secondly, you can pair the fan to your smartphone using the Wahoo utility and use your phone as a remote. That means you can start the fan off on a gentle setting, and ramp it up later in your workout. That's handy if your trainer is somewhere cold and you don't want to freeze before you've got the blood flowing, or you're doing a mixed workout with easy sections where you don't want quite as much wind in your face. The Wahoo app also allows you to update the fan's firmware, although there doesn't seem to be much scope for adding new features here.
Thirdly, you can pair the Headwind with a speed sensor, so it does actually mimic a headwind: go faster, and the fan will blow more air in your face. While I'm all for the pursuit of realism in indoor training up to a point, this is just ridiculous. You don't want the fan on minimum as you're grunting up the Alpe du Zwift on your limit, and then on maximum when you're coasting back down again. Ever. It's so pointless I don't even know why Wahoo has done it.
Thankfully there's a sensible fourth option, which is the one I used most of the time to begin with. If you connect to a heart rate monitor strap then you can have the fan blow harder as your heart rate goes up. The utility app allows you to set minimum and maximum heart rates, and the fan does the rest. So it's a gentle breeze in the warm-up, rising to a full-on headwind blast when you're cranking out high-intensity intervals.
It works really well, and it's simple enough to set up: just click the left arrow button until it's on the HR setting and it'll search for an ANT+ HRM strap and pair automatically. It picked up my Wahoo Tickr Fit arm strap every time. Since there's no actual interface for choosing a sensor, it might raise issues if you have more than one bike/HR strap in your pain cave, but that's only going to be a problem for a small minority of users.
> Buyer's Guide: 11 of the best smart home trainers
Over time, though, I found myself using the Bluetooth control on the phone more and more. If you're in a heavy intervals session then you're hot enough between the reps to feel the need for plenty of wind, even if your heart rate has dropped quite low. So I tended to have the fan quite low for the warm-up then boost it before the hard work started. Given that it's easy to control from the handlebar like this, both of the sensor-based modes end up feeling a bit redundant. What would be even better would be to have a simple Bluetooth remote to control the fan so you don't need your phone; not everyone needs it for their indoor training.
The design of the Headwind looks at first glance like it should be able to rotate to any angle around its base, but in fact the angle is fixed. Well, sort of: there's an extendable foot at the back of the unit that you can, erm, extend.
So there are two positions. Two is better than one, but really it's a missed opportunity to have a proper adjustable angle. Everyone's setup and fan needs are different, and personally I found that to have the fan on the floor and for it to be pointing where I want it (in my face) It was too far away to be effective. The set angle seems to be designed to blow air up your body towards your face, but I'd rather have the full force of the fan keeping me from dripping sweat all over bits of my bike. If I'd been able to angle it up some more it would have worked closer to the bike. You can stick a brick under the front, but then it doesn't look as neat. In the end I put it on an adjustable table by the front wheel, and for me that was just right.
Wahoo claims that the Headwind can kick out a 30mph airspeed. Presumably that's measured right by the grille, and the airspeed drops off quite quickly the further away you are, but if you can set the fan up to be reasonably close to you it does kick out quite a breeze, certainly more than my gym fan. The airflow is quite narrow, so the fan needs to be accurately positioned, but assuming it is it's very effective. I was a bit less sweaty than using the gym fan when using both in the same position, high up and quite close to the bike. On the floor I found the gym fan to be more effective, as it's much easier to adjust for tilt and it's not quite as crucial to get it exactly right as the airflow is less focused.
I wasn't expecting to be blown away – I'm here all week, folks – by the Headwind, but mostly I've enjoyed using it. Once you get it set up in a good position, with your HR strap connected, it's a really good fan for indoor training: the best I've tried in terms of actually blowing air at you. Is it better than a £40 gym fan? Overall, yes it is, although I'd like to see better adjustability. Is it five times better? No, of course not. I'll probably miss the Headwind when it goes back as I like the actual blowing of air that it does, but my standard fan does an entirely adequate job for a lot, lot less.
> Buyer's Guide: 16 of the best turbo trainers and rollers
If you want to control a standard fan from your bars then you can search the internet forums for ways to do that, and there are some good home-made solutions out there as well as remote-controlled pedestal fans from about £30 (see here, for example). You could just hack a remote mount for your handlebar; even an elastic band would do the job.
The Headwind scores because it works out of the box, it's neat and it's effective, but for me it'd be better just as a Bluetooth-controlled fan with a remote and an adjustable angle. Wahoo has tried to be too clever, and what you get is one sensor mode that's completely pointless and one that's okay, but no better really than manual control. And it's really, REALLY expensive. I certainly wouldn't be able to justify the spend based on the improvement over a standard fan. You might.
Verdict
Effective fan for indoor training, but so expensive and sensor modes aren't really necessary
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
road.cc test report
Make and model: Wahoo KICKR Headwind Bluetooth Fan
Size tested: Max: 18"L x 12"W x 19"H
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Wahoo says, "The KICKR HEADWIND is the first ever smart fan, designed with the cyclist in mind. Its Targeted Airflow Pattern mirrors the shape and position of a cyclist's body while riding. The KICKR HEADWIND is sensor controlled so as your speed or heart rate increases, so will the fan speed, and there are also 4 manual speed settings should you want to set your own ideal airflow. With speeds of over 30 mph (48 kph), the KICKR HEADWIND will keep you cool during the toughest training sessions."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Wahoo lists these features:
POWERFUL AIRFLOW
With wind speeds topping out at over 30 mph the KICKR HEADWIND will keep you cool during your hardest efforts.
TARGETED AIRFLOW PATTERN
The Targeted Airflow Pattern of the KICKR HEADWIND is designed to mirror the shape and position of a cyclist's body while riding on a bicycle.
SENSOR BASED FAN SPEED CONTROL
Control the speed of your KICKR HEADWIND by pairing your ANT+ speed sensor, heart rate monitor, or smart trainer directly to the fan. As your speed or heart rate increases so will the fan speed.
APP BASED FAN SPEED CONTROL
Pair to the Wahoo App via Bluetooth for easy fan speed control at your fingertips.
4 MANUAL FAN SPEEDS
Control the KICKR HEADWIND with a simple press of a button. Four (4) preprogrammed fan speeds allow you to select your ideal airflow.
KICKR DESK COMPATIBLE
The KICKR HEADWIND was specially designed to fit with the KICKR DESK. The wheels on the KICKR HEADWIND allow you to roll the fan into position when it is attached to your KICKR DESK.
Motor Spec: 240v 50/60hz
Dimensions (leg tucked): 16"L x 12"W x 19"H
Dimensions (leg extended): 18"L x 12"W x 19"H
Weight: 12 lb
Max Fan Speed: 30 mph/48 kph
Wireless Software Updates: Yes
Connectivity:
Bluetooth - Pair to phone to control the fan speed via app
ANT+ - Pair to speed sensor, heart rate monitor, or smart trainer to control fan speed
Adjustable Leg: Yes - 2 Positions
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Seems well made, no issues during testing.
Rate the product for performance:
7/10
App control and HR control are good, speed control is pointless but works. Could do with being adjustable for angle. Airflow is excellent.
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
No reason to suspect it won't last.
Rate the product for value:
3/10
£200 for a fan. Whichever way you slice it up, that's a huge price tag that's hard to justify.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
I enjoyed using it, it works well.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Heart rate control, good focused airflow.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Very expensive, lack of angle adjustability, daft speed control option.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It's not really comparable to anything else directly, but it's five times the price of my good quality gym fan.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? No
Would you recommend the product to a friend? If they were loaded, yes.
Use this box to explain your overall score
It's a really nice fan. But it's not worth £200, and the sensor modes would be better replaced by a simple remote.
About the tester
Age: 45
I usually ride: whatever I'm testing... My best bike is: Kinesis Tripster ATR, Merida Scultura
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track
Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.
Latest Comments
- Bungle_52 3 min 27 sec ago
I have some sympathy. You have to pay out for excise duty and MOT irrespective of how often you use a vehicle so it probably makes economic sense...
- OldRidgeback 26 min 48 sec ago
Interesting, tho they only take narrow 20" slick tyres. I'd want to be able to use 1.75 Maxxis DTHs.
- don simon fbpe 54 min 48 sec ago
Who'd've thought that a certain whinging section (right whingers get uppity for calling them what they are) of society would resort to division,...
- Exup 2 hours 27 min ago
At least some justice is being done........
- BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP 2 hours 37 min ago
I imagine the Police treat bike theft as an insurance issue rather than a criminal issue. Can't blame them to be honest. The best thing is to use...
- David9694 3 hours 3 min ago
Police launch investigation into destruction of barber shop in Hythe High Street...
- ktache 11 hours 33 min ago
I'd love for them to put a number on that "inappropriate speed"
- Nick T 12 hours 26 min ago
They need to use some harder material for the cleat retention clip really, that's worn out long before any bearing has had a chance to fail on...
- yiipeeia 15 hours 16 min ago
I am 67 and I cycle with two groups during the year The Haddenham Easyriders International who ride during the summer on Thursday evenings, and The...
Add new comment
35 comments
looks identical to this 65w gym fan.
Both 14" fans of not disimilar design.
Sounds like gym fans are just marketing guff to hike up the price.
Thanks for that, it gets all confusing as this 120w floor fan
And when Rapha stuff is overpriced nonsense, which it sometimes is, we shall say as much.
https://road.cc/content/review/11830-rapha-silk-scarf
i've bought one of those to tie to the front of the fan so I can see when it's on.
Surprised you didn’t get two.
(that's one each for you and ConcordeCX, thanks for biggest laugh I've had all day, possibly all week)
& I wonder how many people criticizing the price of this criticize Rapha's pricing as well?
A Pinarello will set you back several grand but you'll not get too many on here saying it's overpriced crap & I don't want one but yet its still just a bike, doesn't does anything different than any other bike?
Remember went DVD's first appeared & their price & we all used VHS!
I don't any Rapha kit nor do I own a headwind but as another poster on here said I admire Wahoo for their innovation & pushing the boundaries with their products.
Rapha's kit is generally expensive, and does what it does very well. This fan is very expensive and is a bit hit and miss when it comes to design and functionality. If it was the perfect indoor training fan, and it was £200, I'd recommend it. But it's not, so I wouldn't.
I like the idea but as they point out - its a bit overengineered.
I've three fans when i turbo.
One at head height next to the bike that I can turn on manually.
One on the floor just to one side of the bike - the big gym fan.
Another smaller one on the other side of the bike.
The latter two have remote controlled plugs so I can turn them on when I'm warming up and off when its cooling down.
Ideally you want the fans off to one side or the sweat will fall onto the bike.
I'm a happy owner (although my previous fan was crap so maybe my opinion is skewed). I got 15% off which made the price slightly more palatable.
One nice feature that's not mentioned in the review is the auto power-up based on the detection of your paired sensor. No more starting a Zwift race only to realise you've forgotten to turn your fan on!
I use the heart-rate mode. It took a few iterations to set the correct limits but, once done, it works very well.
a fool and his money....
I take it you are a runner then? No point wasting money on a bicycle!
I am a runner too! Thats not free either you know, shoes can get fairly pricey once you get a few pairs for different uses, but as most of the posts above, including the actual road.cc review, its an overpriced fan and anybody who purchases one could do with re evaluating their perspective on value of money. If theyve got that much to waste on a fan, perhaps they should be doing more to help others rather than waste it?
Just my perspective.
Thank you for your valuable advice. From now on all my purchasing decisions will be based soley on the ‘value for money’ criteria. I will no longer occasionally treat myself to something that some anonymous person on the internet may seem as excessive.
I will also increase my philanthropic activities with immediate effect.
cheaper to come to Cambridgeshire..... the wind is free here and is in every direction of travel....
cheaper to come to Cambridgeshire..... the wind is free here and is in every direction of travel....
I'm a little confused about the comments. What is the purpose of this product? It is a fan yes, but it is also a unqiue innovative product on the market. Price must be seen in context.
Wahoo are an innovator and a first mover. They got this position with the original Kickr, and they need to defend it. They are also a premium brand. Given that a Kickr is £1000+, did anyone expect this product to be £100? Perhaps that might sell more in the short term, but they don't exist in the budget arena. Premium fans such as Dyson are £250. Wahoo have also proved with the Kickr that by offering more functionality, they can command a premium. Go back and read the gasps about the cost of the original Kickr, if you want a chuckle. How many of them have they sold now?! I predict that they will lower the price of this in the future, but not until they have capitalised on the initial excitement. And price is part of that excitement.
It is the same with the Climb. Hats off to Wahoo. They are pushing the indoor cycling envelope, and we are all going to benefit.
You work in marketing, don't you?
This is road.cc mate, people don't look at things like this.
i'm waiting for the Rapha one to come out so I can buy it in the sale
they got the kickr more or less exactly right though. that's not the case with this fan. hence the price becomes more of an issue
Ha ha! Although its a rarity I do enjoy when an overly expensive product gets the slating it deserves, 2.5/5 suck on that wahoo
OMG and as food-bank use continues to escalate.
I don't think this is edible.
This is literally the dumbest thing I have ever seen.
Not the dumbest thing, its an expensive fan for sure. It does have a very directional air stream. I didnt go for one, mainly because I have 3 foot diameter industrial floor fan to cool me down
Just come and ride in Yorkshire, always a free headwind here...
A "gym" fan? Do you mean a fan? Cost you a lot less than forty of your British quids.
When I say "a gym fan", what I mean is: a gym fan.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oypla-Electrical-Chrome-Speed-Standing/dp/B00HU...
There literally is one born every minute. That's a "fan" that's been rebranded for hipsters. It's not even suitable for indoor training since the wind doesn't normally come up from the ground when you're riding a bike. You need an ordinary floor-standing (height adjustable) fan.
Pages